Sunday, 23 November 2014

Back at the beginning of
September, a group from FSKC met up at Ratagan youth hostel.

It was great to meet some new faces and
also to get out with folks I've paddled before with. A first time back in a
youth hostel since I was a youth (quite some time ago now!), Hubby dear's first
time altogether.

Coral beach lunch spot

On Saturday we had a lovely paddle, putting
in at Plockton, and then coming under the Skye bridge before a long paddle
back to Dornie via Eilean Donan. We stopped on our way to pick a large bag of
the biggest mussels I've seen, which meant we then had to stop off and buy wine
to cook them in, which then meant we had to drink what wine we didn't use
for cooking. They were the best, biggest, juiciest mussels I've ever had,
delicious!

Our afternoon paddle

Tea and cake!

Heading for a pot of gold

Eilean Donan castle

Sunday saw various groups go their merry
ways. David and Lorna went to clamber up some Forking (?) ridge, Fran and
Jonathon had a leisurely (!!!) pedal up the hill behind the hostel,
over the ferry at Glenelg before cycling via the Skye bridge back to
the hostel

. More went
down to Sandaig, either walking or paddling.

Hubby dear thinks he can stop the flow!

Hubby dear, David M, Jeff and I went for a
play down at Kylerhea.

We started off ferrygliding back and forth
with quite a blustery wind, then down round the corner for elevenses where we
saw evidence of a very recent otter visit. Back on the water, we spotted the
tail end of the otter just as it dived down. By the time we crossed back
over to the other side, it was lunchtime.

This is the moment I spotted an ENORMOUS red Lions Main jellyfish swooshing through the flow

A selfie taken on the wave!

We stopped for a while as the tide had
changed direction and we were waiting for it to pick up to its 6 knot flow.
This gave us a chance to practice edging and cutting in and out of the flow. We
then popped over to the other side to try it over there, otherwise, we’d only
be good on one side resulting in us paddling forever more in continuous
circles! Then back again to watch the wave develop.

After
playing for ages on the wave, exhausted, we decided to call it a day. All great
fun.

Monday, 10 November 2014

We set off with a mad dash up the road in order to get to the Oyster Bar in Ellenabeich before we were too late for supper. Andy, Alan and Moira were already there, with Alice and Ansgar arriving just behind us.

Setting off for our night paddle!

Good food and a great natter was the start to the weekend, it was now time for our night time, open crossing all the way over to Easedale. We set off in the pitch dark and headed for a light ( thought it was possibly the light from the pub drawing us in), a bit closer to the island and after Alice had managed to bump into the only thing between the 2 patches of land, a big buoy, we found out the light was Alan blinding us with a big torch.

Safely ashore, we set off for Andy's to stay the night.

Hubby dear collecting juicy Brambles

Next morning the weather was mingin', it was blowing a hooley!

We opted for a wee walk up the hill on Easdale to have a better look. As we looked at all the whitehorses, it was decided if we could get over to Cuan Sound, we'd then get a bit of shelter. After a bit more humming and hawing, the sudden gust that nearly blew us off the top of the hill decided for us, that another cup of coffee was needed before we made any rash decisions like going out paddling!

Back down at Andy's, after watching a yacht struggle to get from Easdale down to Cuan, we thought we could do a shuttle down to Cuan and launch from there. Decision made, we set about loading the boats to get back over to the other side to where the cars were. Once in our boats, we reckoned we were just as well keeking round the corner to see how it was. It had calmed down a bit, so we decided just to head down and through Cuan Sound. The waves were fairly big, but really more swell than breakers.

Ansgar catching a lift in Andy's back hatch!

We stopped for a bite of lunch in the shelter of Ardinamir Bay before we headed down between Luing and Shuna. Another quick stop before battling into the wind again and across to Scarba, where yet another wee stretch of the legs was required.

Down by Luing

Crossing to Scarba

Sssstrettttccchhhhh!!!!

Next we headed north and past the opening of the Grey Dogs, not somewhere to get sucked into, it was boiling mad! We carried on up the side of Lunga and on towards Belnahua with it's crazy currents. Just as we were a few meters from landing, I realised I was paddling like blazes and still going backwards! I wasn't quite sure where I would end up or whether I would just paddle right round the island and come in from the other side, somehow I don't think it would be that easy. A last minute burst of energy gave me the oomph to cross the current and safely land.

Grey Dogs from a distance

Heading to Belnahua

Once there, tents up, we went off for a wee chat with the owners of the island who were busy working on one of the houses. They were quite happy with us taking bushes from the pile they had accumulated for our fire, really friendly folks. At least the breeze was keeping the midges at bay!

Next morning, Alan and Moira decided to head back home whilst the rest of us set off for the Garvellachs. We paddled down the outside of the chain as we hadn't managed the year before due to bumpy waters.

Hubby dear with a Mull behind

2 posers!

Bubble baths

The way through

Ansgar on the other side

Me, made it!

We cut through the rocks at the bottom of the chain, where the water was fairly lumpy once again. We rounded the corner and were back in the shelter of the bay below the monastery.

After lunch, we set back off with a gentle swell pushing us back towards the Grey Dogs, but not before we spotted a couple of dolphins. Thankfully the Grey Dogs were in a better mood today, more like little puppies!

Approaching the Grey Dogs again

Once again we headed back up the side of Lunga, deciding to have a wee visit to Fladda.

When we arrived, there was another small group of kayakers there. We had a wee wander around and met and had a nice chat with a young gentleman, who, it seems was staying on the island doing a bit of work. We were enjoying a seat in the sunshine and another blether, when the gentleman's brother appeared (not the owner of the island), asking us quite brusquely to leave the island. There were no signs to say anywhere was private, we hadn't even realise anyone actually stayed on the island until we spoke to the first brother. We explained we were just having a rest before heading on and wouldn't be long. Off he went to tell the other group to move, coming back to us to ask why we were still there!

Belnahua

We were only a few hundred meters from where we had started out that morning. On Belnahua, the reception was completely different, very friendly and chatty, unlike the nasty, unreasonable bloke on Fladda!

Heading back to Easdale

A fairly speedy paddle / surf back up to Easdale finished off yet another excellent weekends paddling, with as usual, great company and a great laugh as well!

About Me

Other than paddling, I enjoy walking and playing with my Grandson and 3 Granddaughters. I don't get a lot of time to myself as I'm self employed, see www.fifecakes.co.uk. I've started tutoring sugarcraft and gained my UKCC level 2 coach earlier this year.